The Partner Train
by Arik Rengets
Summary: One might call it a sequel, it's what happened to Electra after StEx. Electra learns far more about the world, and especially about himself, than he ever thought he would. But it's okay, he's the best. He's electric. He can handle it... right?


Electra rushed down the track, flying away from the train yard as fast as he could. He soon reached his maximum speed and continued plunging on ahead. His components sailed silently along behind him.  
  
Electra paid no head to the world flying by him or the injuries he'd sustained from his tangling with Greaseball and CB during the race. The race, the Final. How could he have lost? He was electric, the best of the best. He couldn't let anyone see him, the electric engine beaten by a rusty steamer. To be beaten at anything at all was to be the shame of all engine- kind, period... or so The Program said, and The Program was infallible. The Program was Electra's very existence. The information contained in The Program was to be taken as dogmatic law, unquestioningly. This was also a Program commandment. The Program clearly states that electric engines are far superior to steam and diesel in every way. Electric engines cannot be beaten. Electric engines cannot be beaten! It was there, written in ones and zeros, as plain as day. Electra's brow furrowed in concentration as he continued at his lightning-bolt pace, not even remotely aware that he had already traveled a hundred miles and was weary from the race already. Nor was he aware of the clickity-clack of his components behind him who were still staying silent, fearing Electra's wrath.  
  
But he had observed himself being beaten. Observation can be taken as fact, too, unless outside conditions render observation deceptive. Electra had seen clearly enough. Rusty had crossed the finish line before he did. He lost. "But that's not possible!" Electra thought furiously, sparks shooting off him erratically, "To lose is against The Program. 'I can't lose,' it says, and The Program is always right. Even if I could lose, I'd be disobeying The Program because it says I should not. But I witnessed myself losing and observation is true. They can't all be true! Something isn't right!"  
  
Electra didn't have to worry about the trains that he had just left. To them, he was gone. He didn't have to live with "being the shame of all engine-kind" because he had removed himself from those who had seen. The only ones who could remind him of that flaw now were his components. He'd erase that from their memory banks later. One thought kept nagging at Electra's mind, "Why did you lose?" Was it CB? Did the little turncoat's exploits on the track hinder him from crossing the finish line first? Possibly. There was something else though. Electra couldn't explain it and therefore couldn't understand it. There was almost a light in Rusty's eyes as he passed them. Almost as if a determination not of this world had manifested itself as light and only Rusty could see it.  
  
"Okay, that's it, I've snapped. When I start swearing that I've seen light in a rusty, steam engine's eyes that seems like determination from a different plane of existence... I've lost it. Good-bye my mind, you will be missed." Electra sighed.  
  
His components jerked. It was the first sound he had made since the last syllable of "No Comeback."  
  
Electra locked his eyes on air directly in front of him and focused, not seeing. He still tried to settle the growing anxiety within him that arose when he discovered that The Program had contradicted itself somewhere.  
  
All through the night the electric train plunged on with its entourage of components traveling at max speed the whole way. When the morning light began creeping into the sky, Electra hit something... ran through something is more like it. It was a wooden warning barrier. Electra didn't even notice.  
  
Joule was the car directly behind him, "Electra...?" she asked cautiously. "Electra?"  
  
He didn't respond.  
  
"Electra, that was a warning barrier... it said the track was out ahead..."  
  
No response.  
  
"Electra! Electra! There is a cliff coming up! Brakes would be a good idea right about now..." The other cars had already started trying to slow him down as best they could, but with all the momentum Electra had picked up, it was fruitless.  
  
Still Electra did not respond. His eyes were frozen ahead of him, but his mind was still at work on other problems. Joule motioned for the others to help her.  
  
"Electra!! Electra!!" their chorus of electrified synthesized voices rang.  
  
Suddenly, a bump in the track shook loose the couplings between Electra and Joule. Electra kept going on oblivious to the cries and wails of his components.  
  
His components lost speed rapidly once they were free of Electra. They called and called after their engine who wasn't paying attention and heading full-speed toward a cliff. 


End file.
